Participatory Research (PR) at CIP with Potato Farming Systems in the Andes: Evolution and Prospects

Abstract

Participatory Research (PR) at the International Potato Center (CIP) included seven major experiences. (1) Farmer-back-to-farmer in the 1970s pioneered the idea of working with farmers to identify their needs, propose solutions, and explain the underlying scientific concepts. The ideas were of great influence at CIP and beyond. (2) With integrated pest management (IPM) pilot areas in the early 1990s, entomologists and social scientists developed technologies with farmers in Peru and other countries to control insect pests. Households that adopted just some of the techniques enjoyed high economic returns, and this showed the importance of IPM specialists, social scientists, and farmers working together. (3) Farmer field school (FFS) was adapted for participatory research in the 2000s. Farmers learned that late blight was caused by a microorganism, while testing resistant varieties and fungicides, and researchers took into account more specifically farmer knowledge for training and PR purposes. (4) CIP used participatory varietal selection (PVS) after 2004 to form consortia of farmers, local government, NGOs, and research. Farmers' preferences were disaggregated by gender. Selection criteria of other market actors were included, and new varieties were released, showing the importance of combining farmer and researcher knowledge in this process. (5) Participatory approaches to develop native potato variety value chains. After 2000, CIP used the PMCA (participatory market chain analysis) and stakeholder platforms to improve smallholders' access to markets. PMCA brought farmers and other market actors together to form stakeholder platforms which created market innovations, including

Trait prioritization in crop breeding programs: a scoping review on tools and methods

“…However, similar results are reported in other recent systematic scoping reviews in agriculture, and where Spanish-language publications were included [32][33]. This gap is also at odds with the centrality of participatory trait preference research for large public sector crop breeding programs in the region, such the International Potato Center [34]. Regardless of the cause, a lack of available, robust research from this part of the world may have disastrous consequences given climate change and South America's importance to global commodities trade [35][36].…”

A scoping review on tools and methods for trait prioritization in crop breeding programmes

“…However, similar results are reported in other recent systematic scoping reviews in agriculture where Spanish-language publications were included 24,25 . This gap is also at odds with the centrality of participatory trait preference research for large public-sector crop breeding programmes in the region, such as the International Potato Center 26 . A lack of available robust research from this part of the world may have disastrous consequences, given climate change and South America's importance to the global commodities trade 27,28 .…”

Participatory farmer research and exploring the phytobiome: Next steps for agricultural productivity growth

“…Systems for documenting and monitoring genetic diversity will help conservationists focus on areas of high genetic diversity that can be conserved and harnessed for future use. CIP has developed its participatory research models to advance child nutrition, improve pest management, and develop new potato products, bringing many benefits back to farmer communities, while conserving the genetic diversity of potato and other roots and tubers (Ortiz et al, 2020).…”